Astounding: John W. Campbell Memorial Anthology (Random House, 1973 and Ballantine, 1974)
![Jacket of the hardback edition by Random House, November 1973, with cover art by John Sposato (@type_and_image). [More info on ISFDB]](https://fiu-original.b-cdn.net/fontsinuse.com/use-images/115/115443/115443.jpeg?filename=Harrison_AstoundingHB.jpg)
Jacket of the hardback edition by Random House, November 1973, with cover art by John Sposato (@type_and_image). [More info on ISFDB]
Both the jacket for the original hardcover edition (above) as well as the paperback cover (below) of this science fiction anthology use a multiline face, set in all caps and on an angle.
In the case of the former, the letterforms are based on Prisma Graphic A, apparently redrawn with seven instead of eight lines. [see comments] The light slab serif is L&C Stymie Hairline, used with its alternate double-storey a. The latter features Aki Lines, paired with caps from Futura Extra Bold [or rather Twentieth Century Ultrabold, see comments].
A final salute to John W. Campbell, editor extraordinaire, by the writers he developed in Astounding Science Fiction.
Contents:
Introduction: The Father of Science Fiction by Isaac Asimov, Lodestar by Poul Anderson, Thiotimoline to the Stars by Isaac Asimov, Something Up There Likes Me by Alfred Bester, Lecture Demonstration by Hal Clement, Early Bird by Theodore R. Cogswell and Theodore L. Thomas, The Emperor’s Fan by L. Sprague de Camp, Brothers by Gordon R. Dickson, The Mothballed Spaceship by Harry Harrison, Black Sheep Astray by Mack Reynolds, Epilog by Clifford D. Simak, Interlude by George O. Smith, Helix the Cat by Theodore Sturgeon, Probability Zero! The Population Implosion by Theodore R. Cogswell and Afterword by Harry Harrison.
Read more in Paula’s Reading Room.
![Cover of the paperback edition by Ballantine, December 1974, with cover art by Frank Kelly Freas. Originally made in October 1953 as cover illustration for Tom Godwin’s “The Gulf Between” for Astounding Science Fiction magazine, this image was later reused for the cover of Queen’s album News of the World (1977).
[More info on ISFDB]](https://fiu-original.b-cdn.net/fontsinuse.com/use-images/115/115445/115445.jpeg?filename=Harrison_Astounding.jpg)
Cover of the paperback edition by Ballantine, December 1974, with cover art by Frank Kelly Freas. Originally made in October 1953 as cover illustration for Tom Godwin’s “The Gulf Between” for Astounding Science Fiction magazine, this image was later reused for the cover of Queen’s album News of the World (1977).
[More info on ISFDB]
3 Comments on “Astounding: John W. Campbell Memorial Anthology (Random House, 1973 and Ballantine, 1974)”
John Sposato, the designer of the book jacket for Random House, kindly let me know:
John mentions that he employed that trick of varying the colors on striped letterforms in a poster design again a half century later in 2015. You can see the posters on his website. John maintains an Instagram account for the typography course he teaches at School of Visual Arts in New York. Go check it out at @type_and_image!
Twentieth Century Ultra Bold seems to be in use instead of Futura Extra Bold here considering the capital G in the former font is different from the latter one.
Totally correct! Thanks, Bryson.
What complicates things is that several versions of this style – metal, dry transfer, digital – were incorrectly labeled Futura.